Molasses Rust Removal

[Wayne Hingley]

Check this thread, around post #5 and beyond... http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...590#post210590

[Jes Andersen]

Wayne, I had a conversation with John on just this topic the other day. He indicated that once all the grease and loose crud was off, the subject was submerged in a 50/50 mix of molasses and water. Molasses from the feed store variety. He uses the large wheeled garbage cans and other plastic tubs suited to the size of the part. Cover to keep evaporation at a minimum, wildlife out and forget about it for awhile. Weeks and months, not days.

I have an old JD crawler with some pretty rusty parts that I will try this on.

I still have to figure out the chemistry of this process, but it apparently works. Somewhere on YouTube, there is a guy fro Australia that swears by it.

Let us know how it works for you...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq5IUiYMhRM

[jack neville]

Get yourself a 240/12 volt converter, a bin of water and a bag of washing soda. Much quicker and doesn't stink like molasses.

[charlie fitton]

I used a water/ molasses mix in the ratio of 10/1, so there is a wide range of options here.

Photo's from a v8 timing fixture attached:

Before, during, and after..note that the brass was not destroyed, and the decal parts are still in place. Took about 10 days on the kitchen counter..

Toothbrush , soap and water to clean up. A pressure washer for bigger bits, I imagine.

[chris vickery]

I have heard of this but never tried it. Have a batch of bolts sitting in a bath right at the moment and will see for myself in a while how well it works.
Charlie, looks like your timing fixture came out really nice!

[Ian Johns]

I took a 200L steel drum, put a 20L pail of molasses and the rest water. I hang a basket in it for small parts and throw the lid on it. Works well. In the photo you can clearly see which part of the fender didn't fit in the barrel.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Wayne Hingley

Check this thread, around post #5 and beyond... http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...590#post210590

And don't forget Rick's Lynx restoration thread: http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...948#post211948

[Jacques Reed]

Without belaboring this thread I have been a huge fan of molasses rust removal since I heard about it 25 years ago.

Ratio if water to molasses is not critical. I have used 1:1, 2:1 and even 4:1 and it still eats away the rust but perhaps at different speeds.

Always best to remove as much heavy rust as possible before soaking, by wire brush and even a scaling hammer if needs be, as in the case of the rims shown.

In the case of those wheels I took them out after a fortnight, hit them with the Gerni which removed most of the rust and put back in the tank for another week or two for the final clean.

Some myths are around that it eats steel. It does not, but because it is a thorough clean of all the pitting in the steel the misbelief is that it has eaten away some of it.

I had one set of wheels sandblasted and another I did in molasses. The rust removal of all the rust was far superior in the ones done in molasses.

[Alex van de Wetering]

David,

I used a 1:1 mix ratio. I waited about three weeks before taking the parts out; than washed the parts with lots of water. The parts start rusting again in minutes!, so this is something to keep in mind.
There are quite a few video's on the method on youtube, as Jes also pointed out.

In my experience it works excellent for cast parts. I had some trouble with a very thin sheet metal piece....which got partly eaten. However, as Jacques pointed out this is not the molasses eating the steel, but just the molasses removing all the rust...sometimes leaving less material than you anticipated when looking at the rusted part.



I don't know if others have experienced this, but I did my molasses test in Winter.......... at first it worked excellent, but after a few weeks it seemed it lost it's power and crystals also started showing on the surface of the parts. I presume this is bacuse the solution had frozen(?).

Oh....yes, it does smell. BUT..........you can just go to work, and the molasses continues on your restoration while you are away

[lynx42]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

And don't forget Rick's Lynx restoration thread: http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...948#post211948

Thanks Hanno, for the push. I had better get back to writing more on the Lynx restoration. The restoration has been progressing as my health allows so I'll have to find time to continue the saga.

Regards Rick.

[Niels V]

This is very interesting to follow, I have a set of Scammell pioneer overall tracks that I would try dipping in molasses, and then a set of carrier tracks.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Guys

One comment/question that I would add on molasses, washing soda, electrolysis, cleaning/degreasing of parts, temperature of the fluid.

I've tried most of these different methods for degreasing and rust removal, what I have noted is the temperature plays a big part in how quick and well the process works.

For example washing soda at 180F/82C will degrease and remove paint from small parts just soak the parts for 1/2 hour and then scrub the with a medium stiff brush and the grease and even the OD paint comes off. Yet soak the same parts in same solution overnight at room temperature and nothing happens.

Washing Soda when used for electrolysis doesn't seem to work for rust removal when the solution is much below room temperature. Discovered this, one winter, when I had my plastic tube in the corner of the shop away from the furnace result the tank never got much over 40F/4C rust removal was very slow yet when it was in the direct hot air blast of the furnace progress was much better.

Has anybody else noticed temperature as being a significant factor?

Cheers Phil

[jack neville]

I'm using washing soda and electrolysis with the power supply being a cheap 240/12 volt converter brought off ebay. Wheelie bin is outside. Working a treat but then it is summer in Australia. Strips rust and paint.

[Lynn Eades]

Jack, what amperage is your power supply? there are currently some 240/12v 4 amp ones for sale here for $20 is it good thing?

[Wayne Hingley]

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

I've tried most of these different methods for degreasing and rust removal, what I have noted is the temperature plays a big part in how quick and well the process works.

Very true Phil. Temperature has a great impact on pH. As the temperature increases, the pH will decrease (ie; the solution becomes a stronger acid). The molecules in the water will also become more active as temperature increases.

It should also be possible to speed up the process by agitating the solution, so that more fresh exchanges occur between the solution and the parts.

[Bob Carriere]

I have used a 45 gallon drum with a lye solution..... afull perimeter stainless steel plate with a 10 amp battery charger and two 12 volts truck batteries....... batteries went flat in a 2 hours and charger overheated......... it was really bubbling and cleaned a suspended cast CMP axles inside and out in 2 hours...... heavy scumof oil and paint on the surface.

Pressure washed and sun dried it looked like new.

Not sure how many amps were going in or how we could measure based on plate size .........

What is it in molasses that does the derusting...... the potassium content??? and if so would not a weak potassium acid bath be cheaper, faster, less sticky and stinky without being lethal to the environment?????

Bob C